Abstract

Videogames are always more popular among young people, but the effects of their prolonged use are not yet known. The aim of this experimental study was to evaluate for the first time if a short-term exposure to different types of videogames (violent, competitive or pastime/killtime) can influence attentional performance, behaviour and self-assessment of mood. One hundred and sixty adolescents have been assessed with respect to levels of impulsiveness (with BIS-11), sensation seeking (with SSK), attentional performance (with TCL) and mood (with VAS). The results have shown that the exposure to videogames tend to increase impulsiveness (especially motor impulsiveness), improve attentional performance, and influence mood self-assessment (i.e., increase of energy and tension, and reduction of calm).